


A Bag of Cookies

by Gracelizabeth135



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort/Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27070111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gracelizabeth135/pseuds/Gracelizabeth135
Summary: Severus Snape is a cold-hearted SOB. Well, that is until a boisterous, outgoing student makes it her personal mission to put a smile on her professor's face.Elena is a muggle-born witch who is trying to find her way in the Wizarding World. When she suddenly finds her life at stake, she and her new friends-- Tonks, Phoenix, Charlie-- are left to figure out who is ratting her out to the Death Eaters.
Relationships: Charlie Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks, Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 12





	1. An Exceptional Witch

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all *waves*! This is my first Harry Potter Fanfic. Snape is my absolute favorite character, but I don't really ship him with anyone in the books, so I thought I would pair him with an OC. So, for reference in this story, Elena Davies is the same age as Tonks and Charlie Weasley, which makes her seven years older than Harry (and thirteen years younger than Snape and Lupin). The story spans from her school years until after the Wizarding War. I already have most of the chapters planned, but a lot of them need some work. This is going to be LONG AF story, so if you don't like slow burns, this is your chance to back out now!

On Elena’s eleventh birthday, an unexpected knock sounds on the front door at precisely twelve noon. The three sisters, who are all sitting and reading on the couch, turn to look at the door.  
“Will one of you get the door, please?” Their mother calls from the kitchen.  
It’s Joanna, the oldest, who stands up first, shortly followed by Riley and Elena. They all make their way to the door. The two oldest push Elena behind them protectively.  
Joanna pulls open the door and, upon seeing the oddly dressed stranger, asks, “Who are you?”  
The man standing in front of them has greasy shoulder-length black hair; a hooked nose; pale skin; and dark brown, almost black, eyes. In a deep, drawling voice, he answers, “Professor Severus Snape. I am here to speak with the parents of Elena Davies.”  
Despite the fact that she’s barely visible behind her two older, taller sisters, his eyes seem to find the girl in question almost immediately. He notices instantly that the girl has long chestnut hair that nearly goes all the way to her waist and contrasts beautifully with her alabaster skin; bright, shining blue eyes that are hidden behind a pair of large blue tortoise-shell glasses; and soft facial features that are accentuated perfectly by her high cheekbones.   
Joanna eyes him warily and crosses her arms over her chest before moving slightly over to try to block even more of Elena from his view. “Why?”  
Snape keeps his face devoid of emotion. “That is for your parents to know, not you.”  
Riley is just about to say something (no doubt snarky) when their mother walks out from the kitchen, drying her hands with a dishtowel. “Who’s at the door?” She stops just behind Elena and places a kiss to the crown of her head, resting her hands on her shoulders, before looking up at the stranger.  
“He says his name is Professor Snape,” Riley answers, her arms crossed defensively.  
Their mother smiles politely at him. “What can I help you with, Professor?”  
Snape doesn’t bother returning her smile. “I would like to speak to you and your husband about your daughter Elena.”  
Michelle grimaces. “That would be my ex-husband. I’ll have to call him, so why don’t you come in and wait in the sitting room?” She opens the door wider and closes it after he’s entered. “I’ll be right back. Girls, entertain our guest for a moment, won’t you?” She walks back into the kitchen without waiting for an answer.  
The three girls and Professor Snape, whose face is still emotionless, stand awkwardly in the entryway.  
“What are you doing here?” Joanna asks again.  
Instead of answering, Snape turns to Elena. He nods to the book in her hand and states, “You like to read.”  
Elena hugs the book to her chest as though it can shield her from the man.  
Riley pushes Elena behind her again. “What does it matter if she likes to read?”  
Snape raises an intrigued eyebrow but says nothing else, much to Riley’s and Joanna’s annoyance.  
A few awkward silence-filled minutes later, their mother joins them again, a sour look on her face. “John will be here in ten minutes, and his girlfriend, Becky, is coming with him. Now, who wants some tea?”

Professor Snape, John, Becky, and Michelle all sit down in the study. They make sure the door is closed firmly behind them to keep prying eyes and ears away.  
“Why are you here, Professor?” John snarls.  
“To invite Elena to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”  
The tension in the air becomes palpable.  
John leans forward in his seat and rests his elbows on the desk that is separating him from Snape. “Excuse me? I think I misheard you.”  
“You did not mishear me, Mr. Davies,” Snape says calmly. “I am sure you know by now that your daughter possesses incredible powers, and--”  
John interrupts him. “My daughter is no freak, and I will not allow her to go to that school.”  
Snape glares at him and forces himself not to clench his fists or show any other signs of his burning anger. “I agree with you that your daughter is not a freak. She is a witch.”  
“I will disown her if she goes to that school,” John spits.  
Both Becky and Michelle flinch.  
Snape is taken aback by his words, but he recovers his composure quickly. “Even if Elena does not come to Hogwarts, you will never be able to change the fact that she is a witch. But if she does attend, she can learn to control her powers.”  
As though Snape is stupid, John repeats slowly and firmly, “I will disown her if she goes.”  
The men glare at each other, waiting for the other to budge.  
“John,” Becky says softly, “she’s your daughter. You can’t disown her over something she cannot change.”  
“No daughter of mine will be a freak and go to that school.”  
“Your daughter,” Snape all but hisses, his anger boiling to the surface, “is not a freak.”  
“She’s just as much of a freak as you are.”  
Snape takes a deep breath and forces his anger into a locked box in the back of his mind. “Then, in spite of simple-minded people like you, she will be an exceptional witch.”  
A tense, palpable silence takes over the small study.  
Finally, Michelle speaks up, keeping her eyes firmly directed on Snape’s. “I’m not sure about this whole thing, but I’ll support her either way and finance her studies if she decides to attend the school. However, that is as far as my involvement will go with her… witchcraft training.”  
John turns his glare on Michelle.  
Suddenly, the door disappears from the frame, and Elena, who was leaning up against it, falls into the room. She gets up quickly and brushes herself off.   
All four adults turn to face her with varying looks of surprise. Michelle and Becky both look startled, John looks peeved, and Snape’s lips twitch with amusement.  
After a moment of shocked silence, John stands up, grabs Elena’s arm tightly enough to bruise it, and shoves her harshly against the wall. Elena doesn’t even flinch; she keeps a look of pure determination plastered on her face.  
Snape keeps his composure despite being horrified with John’s actions. He pulls out his wand and replaces the door before pointing it at John. “Release her right now.”  
John’s grip only tightens as he sneers at Snape. “You think I’m afraid of you, do you?”  
Snape looks into Elena’s blue eyes that are filled with a fierceness he has never seen before in anyone, let alone a girl who is barely eleven years old. She gives him a tiny, almost imperceptible nod that only he catches. “Libero!” He says, aiming his wand at John’s hand, which instantly slackens.  
Elena pulls away from her father and puts as much distance between them as she can. She ends up standing beside Snape behind the study’s desk. He is then surprised even further by her strength when she speaks for the first time since he’s arrived. “I want to go to Hogwarts and train to be a witch.” Her voice is firm and not at all what he was expecting. He thought it would be quiet, high-pitched, and shaky, but no, it’s strong and alto.  
John looks like he wants to shove her against the wall again, but one look at Snape’s wand stops him. Instead, he glares at Elena for a long moment before grabbing Becky’s hand and dragging her out of the room.   
They all hear the front door slam behind the couple.  
“Well,” Michelle says, trying to break the awkward silence, “I guess that settles that matter.”  
Snape gives a clipped nod. “Yes, I suppose it does.”  
To give herself something to do, Michelle looks down at a piece of paper Snape handed her earlier. “I’ve no idea where to get all of these things.”  
“I will take her-- and you as well, if you wish-- to Diagon Alley to buy her school things this afternoon,” Snape replies.  
“I’ve told you: I will finance her school endeavors, but I will take no other part in her schooling.”  
Elena looks up at her mother with hopeful eyes. “Can Jojo and Riley come with me?”  
Michelle is already shaking her head before she finishes. “No, dear, they have their own things to prepare for school.”  
Elena nods and resists the urge to frown in disappointment, barely managing to keep her smile on her face. “Okay.”  
Michelle brushes a strand of hair out of Elena’s eyes. “Have you taken your medicine today?”  
Elena’s cheeks flush as she looks down at her feet. “Yes, Mum. I took it a little while ago.”  
Snape eyes them both curiously. “Medicine? Any and all medications have to be given to the school Healer for her to distribute when necessary.”  
“Yes, yes, of course. I’ll send it with Elena on the day she leaves for school,” Michelle says, giving Elena’s shoulder a quick squeeze.

A little while later, once everything has been arranged for the year, Snape says, “Now, then, I think we should be going, Miss Davies, to get your school things. If you will take my arm, I will Apparate us to Diagon Alley,” and holds out his arm out to Elena.  
Elena doesn’t even hesitate before grabbing his outstretched arm. Not a moment later, she feels as though she’s being pressed on all sides, and there’s a sudden coldness that seems to seep right into her bones. Almost as suddenly as it began, it stops. She falls to the ground on all fours, trying her hardest not to throw up the big breakfast she had this morning.  
Snape kneels down beside her and lifts her hair out of her face. “I should have warned you about that. My apologies, Miss Davies.”  
“‘S all good,” she mumbles.  
When she’s satisfied that she won’t actually vomit, Elena stands up and brushes the dirt off of herself. “I never want to do that again.”  
Snape holds in his chuckle, his perpetual scowl etching deeper into his face. “You will get used to it at some point, I am sure.”  
Elena rolls her eyes. “I sure hope not. That was dreadful! So, aside from that, where are we?” She looks around and sees people of all kinds milling about wearing similar clothing to Snape’s.  
“Diagon Alley,” he answers simply. “Follow me, and I will help you find what you will need.” He sets off at a brisk walk down the lane, Elena following closely behind him. “We first need to go to Gringotts, which is the wizarding bank.”  
“That’s a strange name for a bank,” Elena muses. “Why do we need to go there?”  
“To exchange your muggle money for Wizarding Currency.”  
Elena is about to ask something else when someone crashes into her. She falls to the ground for the third time that day, someone landing on top of her.  
The girl, who has long pink hair and bright green eyes, stands up quickly and offers her hand to Elena. “I am so sorry!” She squeals. “I tripped over an upraised stone, and next thing I know, I’m knocking you over.”  
Chuckling slightly, Elena takes the girl’s hand and hoists herself back onto her feet. “It’s alright. No harm, no foul.”  
The girl eyes her for a moment, then declares, “You must be another first year! I’m Tonks. Well, my name is actually Nymphadora, but I hate when people call me that, so I go by Tonks.” She holds out her hand.   
Elena takes it and gives it a firm shake. “Nice to meet you, Tonks. I’m Elena. Elena Davies.” She notices Tonks’s hair turning blue, and her eyebrows furrow. “I don’t mean to alarm you, but your hair is changing colors.”  
Tonks’s eyes cross slightly as she tries to look at the fringe of her bangs. “Oh, that’s normal. I’m a Metamorphmagus.”  
This only confuses Elena even more. “A what?”  
Tonks smiles sheepishly. “You must be a muggle-born.” Then, seeming to think she has said something offensive, rushes to amend by saying, “Not that that is a bad thing. My father’s a muggle-born, and he’s an exceptional wizard.”  
Snape comes to stand behind Elena. “Hello, Nymphadora. Have you tripped over your own feet again?”  
Tonks blushes and glares at Snape. “Hello, Professor.”  
“Where are your parents? Andromeda will not be happy to find out that you have left her side.”  
As if he summoned them, a man and woman come to stand on either side of Tonks. The woman, who Elena reckons is no older than thirty-five, has long curly black hair, a gentle, peaceful-looking face, and is the spitting image of Tonks. The man is tall and stout and has graying hair despite his youthful appearance.  
“Now, now, Severus. Nymphadora is alright,” the woman says. “Dora, why don’t you and your new friend go get some ice cream at Florean’s.” She gives her daughter a slight nudge forward.  
Before Elena can get a word in, Tonks grabs her arm and drags her down the cobbled street to what she can only guess is an ice cream parlor. She looks back at Snape for help, but he’s already absorbed in conversation with the Tonkses.  
“I don’t have any money yet for my ice cream, but I’ll pay you back once we’ve gone to Gringotts,” Elena says once they come to a stop inside the parlor.  
Tonks laughs. “Oh, don’t be daft. When Mum tells me to bring a friend to get ice cream, it means that she wants to have a private conversation with someone and will pay me back later. Besides, I knocked you over, so this will be to make up for that. What flavor of ice cream do you think you’re gonna get? I’m thinking of getting butterbeer and bubblegum, but they might taste weird together.”  
“What’s butterbeer?”  
Tonks stares at her, wide-eyed. “You don’t know what butterbeer is? Oh, honey, that’s going to change right now.”   
She marches determinedly up to the man behind the counter without another word to Elena. “I would like two scoops, please. One butterbeer, the other bubblegum. And my friend would like two scoops of butterbeer.”

Once they have gotten their ice creams, the two girls sit down at a table outside.  
“Thank you for the ice cream, Tonks.”  
“You’re welcome.”  
Elena looks back at where Snape and Tonks’s parents are standing. “What do you think they’re talking about?”  
“Who?” Tonks asks as she takes a big bite out of her ice cream.  
“Snape and your parents.”  
Tonks shrugs. “Don’t know, don’t care. Snape’s a tosser. It sucks that you got stuck with him being the one to introduce you to the Wizarding World. I thought Dumbledore usually went himself or sent McGonagall in his place, but apparently not. My guess is that Snape did something to tick Dumbledore off and this is his punishment.”  
Elena looks at her, bemused. “He seems quite nice. He even defended me to my parents when I chose to come to Hogwarts.”  
A bit of ice cream falls onto Tonks’s lap in her surprise. “He what? I’ve never known Snape to be nice to anyone, and I’ve known him my entire life. Granted, he hated my Uncle Sirius, who I was extremely close with, so…. Maybe Dumbledore has threatened him to be nice? Either way, it’s most likely a front, and I wouldn’t trust it if I were you.”  
Elena says little else while they wait for the adults to finish their conversation. Instead, she listens to Tonks’s rambling explanations of the Wizarding World and eats her ice cream, which tastes amazing, just as Tonks said it would.

A little while later, Snape comes over and tells Elena to say goodbye to Tonks.  
Tonks gives her a two-fingered wave as she walks toward Flourish and Blotts with her parents and says, “I’ll see you on the Hogwarts Express.”  
Elena waves after her. “Save me a seat!”  
Snape starts walking them towards Gringotts. “Did you enjoy your chat with Miss Tonks?”  
Elena grins widely. “Yeah! She told me a lot about the Wizarding World, so now I don’t feel as oblivious to things as I was earlier today. Oh, and she introduced me to butterbeer ice cream, which is absolutely scrumptious!”  
“It is good that you no longer feel so in the dark about everything since this is now your world. And just wait until you try actual butterbeer.”  
Elena looks up at him curiously, a slight tilt to her head. “It’s more than just an ice cream flavor?”  
He keeps himself from smiling. “There is still a lot you have yet to learn about the Wizarding World, Miss Davies.”  
Elena rolls her eyes as she turns her head to look around Diagon Alley.  
They walk in silence for a few minutes before Snape asks, his voice much quieter and softer than usual (one might say he’s concerned if they didn’t know better), “Does your father usually treat you like that?”  
Elena keeps her eyes determinedly trained on a window displaying brooms ahead of them. “No. And even if he did, he no longer wants me in his life, which he made very clear today.”  
“And that does not bother you?”  
She takes a deep, steadying breath to force herself to stay calm. “Should it?”  
Snape looks at her, masking his appalled expression. “Most people would be distraught to know their father is disowning them.”  
Elena shrugs. “Guess I’m not most people, then.”  
Another silence falls over them as they enter Gringotts.  
Elena looks all around, wider eyed than before, as she takes in all of her new surroundings, their former conversation all but forgotten. “This is… wow. I’ve never seen, nor imagined, anything like this before.”  
Despite how much of a protest he put up with Dumbledore, Snape (not that he would admit it) is thankful he’s the one chosen to show Elena the Wizarding World. He finds her innocent awe heartening.

After they leave Gringotts and make their way to Ollivander’s, Snape says, “It is alright to admit if your father--”  
“He doesn’t abuse me if that’s what you’re getting at, sir,” Elena grumbles, crossing her arms protectively over her chest, “and I would appreciate it greatly if you would just drop the subject. Please.”  
“The way your sisters are protective of you would say otherwise.”  
Elena stops and glares up at Snape, who also stops and turns to look at her. “My parents are divorced, my father has disowned me, and my life is fine. I don’t need you-- or anyone else, for that matter-- digging up my past, thank you very much. What happened has happened, and nothing will ever change that little fact. You’re a wizard, why don’t you just read my mind to see if I’m lying? Or is that not possible even in the Wizarding World?” She starts walking again without waiting for his answer.  
Oh, it’s possible, he thinks bitterly.  
“Now that that conversation is over,” she fixes him with a hard look, “where all are we going? What do I have to get?”  
He lists everything, then says, “And you are allowed to bring an owl, toad, or cat if you so desire.”  
Elena’s nose crinkles in confusion. “Why would I want to bring an owl? That seems like a strange animal to bring to school.”  
“In the Wizarding World, we use them to deliver letters.”  
“Oh! That makes sense! I want to get an owl so I can send letters to Jojo and Riles.” She looks up at him expectantly, a smile on her lips.  
“I will take you to the Owlery, then, once we have finished with the rest of our shopping.”  
If possible, her smile grows even wider.

A couple of hours later, laden with all of Elena’s school things, the pair makes their way to the Magical Menagerie. An older witch behind the register greets them politely upon their entrance.  
Elena looks all around her at the animals lining the walls and in their crates that are creating a maze within the store. “Wow.”  
Snape watches her as she prances around the store, looking at all of the animals she’s never seen before.  
She stops in front of a cage and turns to ask Snape, “What kind of animal is this? He almost looks like a cat, but I don’t think that’s what he is.”  
“That would be a kneazle,” Snape answers simply. “You are looking for an owl, I thought?”  
She turns away from the cage to face him. “Yes. Where are they?”  
Snape points up at the ceiling.   
Elena looks up and gasps in surprise when she sees the owls, all of them watching her, that are perched on the rafters. “How am I supposed to pick one out from down here?” She asks as she looks back down at Snape.  
He smirks at her before whistling a strange tune. The owls all seem to be entranced by the song, and they all come fluttering down and land before the pair. “There you are, Miss Davies.”  
Elena gives him a quick smile before she turns her attention to the owls. She crouches low to look at them all. A little one with feathers as white as snow hops over to her; she figures that it must be no more than a few days old based on its size. When she holds her hands out to it, it hops right into them and nuzzles its tiny head against her palm. “You’re just the most precious little thing, aren’t you? I think I’ll call you Snow. Do you like that name?” She whispers. The owl hoots in response.  
“You cannot be serious,” Snape tuts.   
Elena stands up and turns to face him, the owl still in her hands. “Why not?” There’s a challenge in her voice.  
“Because that owl will not be able to fly two feet with a letter on its leg without falling.”  
She narrows her eyes at him. “It matters not the size of one’s self, but their determination to accomplish their goal.” Defiantly, she walks up to the register and pays for the owl, a cage, treats, food, and other necessary items.  
Snape raises an eyebrow and tilts his head at her when she rejoins him at the door. “You are an enigma, Miss Davies.”  
Elena gives him a wide smile and walks out the door, Snape following quickly behind her. “Thank you.”  
“That was not a compliment.”  
She laughs. “Kind of figured, Professor.”

Disapparating from Diagon Alley to her front porch, Elena once again lands on all fours. Snape is, thankfully, holding her school things because he figured she would collapse again after arriving. Snow hoots quietly in displeasure.  
“Yup, I think I’m gonna be sick,” Elena mumbles as she starts to retch off the side of the porch.  
Snape lays the items down and crouches down beside Elena, gently pulling her hair out of her face so that she doesn’t get vomit in it.  
Wiping her mouth with a handkerchief Snape hands her, Elena says, “I thought I told you I never wanted to do that again?”  
He shrugs. “It was the fastest way back to your home.”  
She sits on her heels to glare at him. “It still wasn’t very nice. You could’ve warned me at the very least.”

Later that evening, the three sisters all meet in Elena’s room. Riley and Joanna sit down on the bed on either side of Elena.  
“So, you’re a….” Riley starts but trails off, unsure of what to call her sister.  
Elena smiles easily. “You can call me a witch, Riles. It’s not an offensive term in my new world.”  
Joanna frowns. “Are you sure you want to go to this school?”  
Both sisters eye her curiously.  
Elena nods. “I’m sure. Are you okay with that?”  
Riley and Joanna both nod.  
“If this is what you truly want, we will support you,” Joanna says.  
“We’re here for you, Ellie Wellie.” Riley then nudges Elena’s shoulder playfully. “You are going to be the greatest witch to ever live!”  
Elena chuckles sheepishly.


	2. Chapter 2

A little over a week later, Snape arrives back at Elena’s house to take her to the Hogwarts Express. She finished packing all of her things last night, so all that’s left to do this morning is to pack things she couldn’t until now. Once that’s finished, she hugs Joanna, Riley, and her mother goodbye.  
“Don’t forget to write to us,” Joanna pointedly reminds.  
Elena rolls her eyes but smiles despite herself. “I won’t. I promise to write to you at least once a week.”  
Michelle hugs her, placing a gentle kiss on her temple. “I love you, have fun, and don’t get into trouble-- don’t think I won’t come to that school of yours to give you a telling off if you get into trouble of any kind.”  
Elena laughs before turning to look at Riley. “I love you, Riles.”  
Riley wraps her in a tight hug. “Don’t you dare forget about us while you’re at Hogwarts. I want to hear about every single detail, no matter how small you think it is. Got it?”  
“Got it.”  
She pulls away, keeping her hands on Elena’s shoulders so that they’re looking into each other’s eyes. “My sister’s a witch! I am so jealous of you, so I’m going to live vicariously through you while you’re at school.”  
Elena chuckles and shakes her head. “Sounds like a plan, Riles.”  
Snape clears his throat from behind Elena. She turns around to face him. “It is time for us to leave.”  
“Please tell me you’re not going to Apparate us again?” She all but begs.  
Snape smirks. Elena cringes and groans.  
~<3~  
“Give me a second while I puke my guts out,” Elena mumbles. She sprints over to the nearest trashcan and hangs her head over it.  
Snape follows after her, pulling the trolley that is laden with her school things behind him. “Are you alright?”  
Elena glares at him, her face paler than usual and slightly green. “Do I look like I’m alright to you, sir?”  
Resisting the urge to chuckle, he commiserates, “No, I suppose you do not.”  
Once she’s certain that the retching has stopped, she wipes her mouth on the back of her hand and stands up straight to face Snape.  
“Are you ready to get on to the Hogwarts Express?”  
Elena eyes him warily. “I suppose so. Which track is it on?”  
He starts walking towards Platform Nine. The smirk he throws her over his shoulder slightly unnerves her, but she follows him anyway. They stop in front of one of the pillars on Platform Nine.  
“So it’s on Platform Nine?”  
“Not exactly, Miss Davies. You will find that things in the Wizarding World are not always what they appear to be at first glance.”  
Without waiting for her to respond, he takes her hand in his own and drags her, full speed, at the pillar.  
“What are you--- sir!” Elena shrieks, pulling away just before hitting the wall.  
Snape comes to a quick halt. The trolley almost passes him into the entrance, but he stops it just in time with his wand. “Keep your voice down, Miss Davies. You are drawing unwanted attention to us.”  
Elena turns to face him, a look of pure horror etched on her face. “I’m drawing attention to us?! What the heck?! You’re the one who just tried to flatten me into a pancake!”  
“Touche, Miss Davies.”  
“Would you please explain to me what that was?” She gestures emphatically at the pillar, her voice thankfully quieter than it was a moment ago. “Because I’m extremely confused right now.”  
“I am taking you to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.”  
She tilts her head slightly to the side. “Excuse me? There’s no Platform Nine and Three Quarters.”  
“I told you in Diagon Alley that there are still many things you have yet to learn about the Wizarding World.”  
~<3~  
Tonks and her parents stop next to the Hogwarts Express. As her mother leans in for a hug, Tonks darts away quickly and wraps her arms tightly around her father. Andromeda rolls her eyes and places her hands on her hips. Ted laughs good-naturedly as he returns his daughter’s hug.  
“I hope you know that you are enabling her hatred of me, Ted,” Andromeda says.  
“What can I say? She’s always been a daddy’s girl.”  
After another minute, Ted pulls Tonks’s arms off of himself and pushes her in Andromeda’s direction. Tonks is less than thrilled as her mother gives her a quick stiff hug. Andromeda pulls away and gives Tonks a terse nod. “I hope you have a great year at Hogwarts, Nymphadora.”  
It takes all of Tonks’s self-control not to roll her eyes. “Thank you, Mum.”  
A loud whistle suddenly pierces the air.  
Ted ruffles Tonks’s hair affectionately, which she quickly Morphs back into an acceptable (in her opinion) hairdo. “I love you, Dora.”  
“I love you too, Dad.”  
Andromeda just stands there with her lips puckered like she just ate a lemon. “Take care, Nymphadora. I do not want to receive any letters telling me you have gotten up to any of your usual mischiefs.”  
Tonks rolls her eyes but nods anyway. Crossing her fingers behind her back, she says, “Got it, Mum. I will be on my best behavior at Hogwarts.”  
Andromeda is not convinced by her daughter’s act, so she says, “I am sure you will with Professor Snape keeping a close eye on you, which I have asked him to.”  
“Mum,” Tonks groans.  
Another whistle sounds from the train.  
“I think that’s your cue to board, Nym Nym,” Ted says.  
Without further ado, Tonks grabs her trunk and turns to head over to the nearest door of the train to board.  
~<3~  
As Elena hoists her trunk onto the train, Tonks comes bounding over to her, practically vibrating with suppressed excitement. “Hey, Elena! Are you as excited as I am to go to Hogwarts?”  
Elena laughs at her friend’s enthusiasm. “I highly doubt anyone could possibly be as excited as you are.”  
“That is true.”   
Both girls step into the corridor of the train, dragging their trunks behind themselves. Tonks leads the way and examines each of the compartments until they come to one that is empty-- sans a girl that looks to also be a first-year. The girl has curly, mid-length black hair that is tied back into a ponytail; warm chocolate-brown eyes; pale skin; and is relatively short for her age. Elena also notices that she is wearing an antique-looking silver locket around her neck.   
The girl invites them in when she sees them standing outside the door. Tonks and Elena enter, making sure to close the door behind them. She smiles shyly at Tonks and Elena as they stow their trunks and sit down on the bench across from her. Her eyes flit from Tonks to Elena and back again. “Hi. I’m Phoenix, but everyone calls me Fifi. Am I right to assume that you are both first years as well?”  
Tonks returns Fifi’s smile brightly, not a hint of nervousness to it. “Yup! I’m Tonks, and this is Elena.  
Fifi gives a nod to each of them. “Nice to meet you both.”  
~<3~  
“So,” Tonks asks, breaking the silence that’s taken over the small compartment, “which house are you guys hoping to be Sorted into?”  
Elena’s pondered this ever since she found out about the houses, but she still isn’t quite sure. “I dunno. What about you? Do your guys’ parents hope you’ll be Sorted into the same houses as them?”  
Before Fifi can get a word in edgewise, Tonks rambles, “Well, there’s no chance I’ll be Sorted into Ravenclaw like my father was-- we all know that. Mum tells me I’m too nice and loyal to be in Slytherin. My uncle would want me Sorted into Gryffindor like he was-- my parents say I’m reckless and mischievous enough to be one-- but I’m really hoping to be a Hufflepuff. It would be cool because I would be the first person ever in my family to be in that house. That, and I can never imagine turning my back on my loved ones.”  
Elena turns to Phoenix. “What about you?”  
Phoenix picks at her nails. “Um… I actually don’t know which houses my parents were in.”  
“Why’s that?” Tonks asks.  
Phoenix’s hands still. Quietly, she mumbles, “They both died when I was eight.”  
“How?”  
Elena elbows Tonks in the stomach.  
Tonks glares at her. “Ow! What was that for?”  
“For asking a personal, intrusive question that you have no right to ask.”  
“It’s alright.” Phoenix absent-mindedly fidgets with the locket around her neck and stares out the window as the train winds through the countryside. “My parents were killed in the war with He-who-must-not-be-named. I don’t remember much about them, and they never really mentioned their families. However, I know Mum had a sister. I’ve never met her, and I don’t think she even knows I exist. They also told me that both sets of my grandparents died before I was born, so when my parents died, I was sent off to a Wizarding Orphanage. I was adopted by a family soon afterward.”  
“That’s really sad, Phoenix. I’m sorry all that happened to you,” Tonks whispers.  
“It’s fine; I’ve learned to live with it. And please, call me Fifi.”  
Trying to change the subject, Elena points to the locket and says, “I really like your locket, Fifi. It’s beautiful.”  
Fifi curls her fist around the locket. “Thank you. My dad gave it to me before he passed away. He told me that it will always keep me safe-- so long as I always wear it.”  
“That’s really neat,” Tonks compliments.  
~<3~  
The compartment door opens wide, and a boy with messy, red hair and freckles steps in. His robes are a little battered and quite obviously hand-me-downs. He smiles boyishly at the three girls as he runs a hand through his unruly locks. “Is it alright if I join you guys? My brother kicked me out of his compartment-- said I wasn’t cool enough to join him and his third-year friends. I’m Charlie, by the way.”  
“Sure!” Phoenix squeaks, a blush taking over her face. “I’m Fifi.”  
Charlie sits down next to her. “Nice to meet you, Fifi.” He gives a two-fingered wave to Tonks and Elena. “And you two are?”  
“I’m Elena.”  
“Wotcher, Elena.”  
“The name’s Tonks. Don’t wear it out. I’m assuming you’re a Weasley, Charlie?”  
Charlie cracks a wide grin and leans back in his seat, his hands behind his head. “What gave me away? My red hair, freckles, or the mischievous glint in my eyes?”  
Tonks chuckles. “All of the above. That, and my mum has shown me pictures of our family line that include you and your siblings.”  
“Family line? You’re a pureblood?”  
“No, but Mum is. She’s Andromeda Black, daughter of Cygnus Black the Third.”  
“Ah, yes, I do remember Mum mentioning your family in our own conversations about lineage. How distantly related are we again?”  
“Good question. Something ridiculous, but we’re related nonetheless.”  
~<3~  
The compartment door suddenly opens again. This time, it’s to reveal a girl who is wearing green bug-like glasses. Her head is crowned with short, tight ringlets and is bleached-blonde with black roots. The leather trunk she’s holding has the initials RPS embossed in gold on it. When she speaks, her voice is a high-pitched soprano. Looking straight at Charlie and Fifi, she asks, “Mind if I join you all? Every other compartment is filled with imbeciles.”  
Tonks rolls her eyes. “Get out of here, Rita.”  
Rita turns to Tonks with a look of disgust. “Loot at what the hippogriff dragged in. Guess this compartment is also filled with imbeciles.”  
“You’re one to talk, Miss Bug-eye.”  
Elena looks at both arguing girls. “I get the feeling you two already know each other.”  
Both Tonks and Rita turn to look at Elena.  
“Well, well, I’ve never seen you before,” Rita states as she marches up to Elena, her hand outstretched. “Trust me, you don’t want to fraternize with people like Nymphadora. Why don’t you come with me to find a better compartment.”  
Elena glares at Rita’s hand. “I’d much rather stay in this compartment and be friends with Tonks than someone who is full of themself-- like yourself.”  
As Tonks bursts out laughing, Rita grabs her trunk, mutters something under her breath, and slams the compartment door behind herself.  
“Good one, El! I can now-- officially-- call you my closest friend!” Tonks says, giving Elena an awkward side hug.  
“What’s with the hostility between you and Rita?” Fifi asks.  
“Let’s just say that we were close friends until several events at summer camp that included a bikini, whip cream, and window blinds.” Charlie opens his mouth to say something, but Tonks quickly demands, “Don’t ask.”  
~<3~  
Once the train has stopped at Hogsmeade Station, the three girls and Charlie make their way off the train and over to where a very tall heavy-set man is calling for first years. He does a quick headcount before leading them all to a lake where several boats are docked and waiting for them all.  
“That’s Hagrid,” Tonks whispers in Elena’s ear, answering her unspoken question. “He’s the gamekeeper here.”  
“He’s awfully large.”  
Tonks smiles. “Yeah, but Mum and Dad say he’s a gentle giant.”  
Before Elena gets the chance to respond, Hagrid turns to face all of the students again. “Alrigh’, firs’ years! Three ter a boat!”  
Tonks immediately grabs Elena’s and Fifi’s hands and begins to drag them to the nearest boat. Tonks gets in first and then is followed by Fifi. Tonks senses Elena’s fear and grabs her hand to help her onto the boat as well. Elena gives her an uneasy smile.  
“Whatever you do, don’t rock the boat. I mean that seriously. I don’t feel like swimming with the giant squid tonight,” Fifi commands, a hint of fear in her voice.  
“Wait-- there’s a giant squid?!” Elena exclaims, stumbling as she steps backward, away from the boat. She manages to recapture her sense of balance before she falls onto her bottom.  
With laughter in her voice, Tonks says, “Yeah, along with merpeople and other creatures. My uncle once told me about the time he and his friends pissed off the merpeople and ended up in detention for a month.”  
Elena freezes, unable to take another step towards the boat. “You mean to tell me that mermaids are real?”  
Tonks grabs Elena’s hand again and tugs her into the boat. Fifi and Tonks push off from the shore before Elena gets the chance to escape.  
“They hate when people call them that. Trust me: you do not want to get on their bad side. From what my uncle told me, he and his friends were lucky they got out with all of their limbs still attached to their bodies.”  
“How comforting,” Elena deadpans as she grips tightly onto the sides of the enchanted boat.  
“Ah, buck up, sweetcheeks. You will do just fine here,” Tonks says, patting Elena on the shoulder.  
“She is right, you know,” Fifi says to Tonks. “There are quite a number of frightful things at Hogwarts. It’ll be good for us all to remain wary of what is around us.”  
Tonks rolls her eyes. “Sure. I’ll make sure to do that when I’m put into Slytherin.”  
~<3~  
Once the students have docked and gotten off the boats (while getting out, Tonks caught her foot on the edge of the boat and face planted onto the grass), an older woman, who quickly introduces herself as Professor McGonagall, greets them on the shore. She does another headcount before leading the forty or so students across the grounds to the front doors of the castle. The students file into the Entry Hall.   
Elena is mesmerized by the wondrous things she sees around her. The portraits on the walls around her are moving and chattering amongst themselves, paying absolutely no attention to the students in front of them, and the suits of armor are cordially welcoming the new students. The other muggle-borns around Elena look as star-strucked as she does as they also take in their new surroundings.  
Tonks grasps onto Elena’s arm, which pulls Elena out of her thoughts. “Cool, right?”  
Elena looks at her. “This is... normal in the Wizarding World?”  
“So normal that it’s dull to those of us who have grown up in this world.”  
McGonagall once again calls for all of the students to follow her, and she leads them into the Great Hall.  
The first thing Elena notices when she walks in is the four long tables that take over the room. Each seems to be decorated with a different color scheme that coordinates with their house. At each table, the students look at them interestedly. Their looking makes Elena feel like an animal in a zoo exhibit.  
The second thing Elena notices is Professor Snape watching her intently from his place at the table where all of the professors are sitting. She catches his eye for a moment, but he quickly turns to start a conversation with a short man wearing a navy suit jacket (another professor, she figures) who is sitting next to him.  
Looking up at the ceiling, Elena sees the Enchanted Ceiling she read about in Hogwarts: A History. She decides that the book didn’t do the Ceiling justice with its beauty. The stars are sparkling and glowing above her, and she is, once again, mesmerized by the wonders of the Wizarding World.  
Professor McGonagall begins calling out the names of the new first years, snapping Elena out of her wonder. Each student she calls up sits down on a bench before she places a Hat on their head. Every few minutes, the Hat calls out the name of one of the houses, and that student joins their designated table.  
~<3~  
Snape watches Elena intently as McGonagall calls out, “Davies, Elena!”  
Unlike the rest of the students, there isn’t a visible ounce of fear on Elena's face as she walks up to take her place on the stool. The same fierceness that was in her eyes when she defiantly told her parents that she wanted to come to Hogwarts is there right now. This intrigues Snape at the same time it makes Elena even more of an enigma to him.  
~<3~  
Elena doesn’t feel any of the bravery she’s faking right now. Mostly, she’s really anxious and wants to run and hide under a bed. Regardless, Elena sits down on the stool and allows McGonagall to place the Sorting Hat on her head. She slightly startles when she hears it whispering-- she isn’t quite sure if it’s in her ear or in her head it’s communicating with her.  
“Ah, yes, I see a wealth of knowledge in you-- quite bright for your age. You have a thirst to know as much as you can. I can see books were your escape from the hurt and pain you were experiencing at home as a child. Ravenclaw would develop your knowledge into something Hogwarts has so little seen while allowing you to prove yourself to your father.  
“Hufflepuff would be a fitting match with your strong sense of loyalty-- never would betray your loved ones, no. You find it quite important to always be there for the ones you care for the most.  
“Slytherin would certainly hone your talents in order to make you succeed. Your thirst for knowledge would develop your cunning into something extraordinary. And you have had a similar past to those in Slytherin-- one filled with pain and misery. However, you wouldn’t fare too well in Slytherin since you are a muggle-born. Not too many in that house, no. They look down upon them, but you could certainly prove yourself to them with your strong need to succeed in all that you do.  
“Gryffindor would teach you to allow your bravery to outshine what you fear. Your bravery exceeds your years, but I see a deep fear in you that you struggle to control. What is it that you fear so deeply that you allow it to control the way you think and act?   
“You would do well in each house, so I leave the decision for you to make. What do you decide?”  
Elena considers everything the Sorting Hat has just told her. It sounds to her that she fits the personality for Slytherin and Ravenclaw houses the best. So it comes down to the question of what she values most: success or knowledge.  
The answer is easy for her.


	3. Detention with the Bat

“Ravenclaw!” The Sorting Hat exclaims to the Great Hall.  
The students from the Ravenclaw table clap the loudest of everyone as Elena joins her new family for the next seven years.  
Elena watches all of her new friends get Sorted into their new houses. Fifi joins her in Ravenclaw; Tonks is put into Hufflepuff; Rita Skeeter is placed into Slytherin (go figure); and Charlie becomes a Gryffindor. She’s a little sad that she only has Fifi in her house, but she quickly remembers that Tonks doesn’t have any friends in Hufflepuff yet, and it’s the same for Charlie in Gryffindor. Elena is sure that Tonks and Charlie will both make quick friends with anyone they meet in life, but she still feels sorry for them, especially for Tonks because she’s the closest friend (aside from her sisters) that she’s ever had.  
~<3~  
After everyone has finished eating and Dumbledore has given his beginning of term speech, the students are dismissed to their common rooms. Elena and Fifi, Tonks, and Charlie wave at each other as they follow their prefects in separate directions. A fifth-year Ravenclaw, Sierra, leads Elena, Fifi, and the other first years up to Ravenclaw Tower. Sierra stops them all in front of the common room door.   
Much to Elena’s surprise, the door, in a melodious voice, asks, “What can be mended but never made whole again?”  
Sierra turns to the first years. “Does anyone want to try to answer before I do?”  
Elena instantly raises her hand. Sierra nods for her to continue. “Trust. When trust is broken, it can be mended but it will never be the same as it was, thus never allowing it to become whole again.”  
“Well answered.”   
The door swings open, and Sierra leads them all into a common room that is filled to the brim with students reading, writing, and chatting amongst themselves. There’s a fireplace on one side of the room with a large overstuffed couch in front of it that several seventh years are lounging on. From where Elena is standing, she can see that the walls of the room are covered from floor to ceiling in maps, different potions and their ingredients, spells, and a multitude of other study materials.  
Then, snapping Elena out of her wonder, Sierra says, “Girls, your dormitory is to the left and three flights up. Boys, the same but on your right. I suggest you all get a great night’s sleep. You’re going to need it for tomorrow’s lessons.”  
Elena, along with Fifi, Vivienne, Olivia, and Sydney-- the other new first-year girls-- make their way up to their shared dormitory. Elena picks the bed closest to the window, and Fifi picks the one to the right of hers.  
Before Elena goes to bed that night, she goes over every detail of the day, starting with Snape picking her up that morning and ending with her getting Sorted into Ravenclaw. She falls into a deep slumber with a small smile on her face.  
~<3~  
The next morning, Elena wakes up about fifteen minutes earlier than her alarm (one of the prefects showed them how to set an alarm on their wands before they went to bed). She stretches her arms above her head, hearing her joints pop into place. She then gets out of bed and dresses in her robes as quietly as possible so as not to wake the other girls.  
Before the other girls have even stirred, Elena walks out of Ravenclaw Tower and down to the Great Hall for an early breakfast. After all, she doesn’t want to be late to her first classes of the term, and what better way is there to start a school year of being punctual off than by getting to breakfast early?   
All of the staff members are there when she enters, but there’s only a handful of students in the Hall. Most of the students there are older students from Ravenclaw who are surrounded by piles of books, parchment, and quills and are studying despite it being the first day of classes. Elena sits down at the end of the table nearest the staff table where no other students are sitting.  
Not a minute after Elena’s sat down, there’s a loud crack behind her. She jumps in her seat, and her knees bang against the tabletop, catching the attention of everyone else in the Great Hall. Embarrassed, she turns to look at whatever caused the sound.   
Standing before her is some kind of pale creature with big ears, a smashed, tomato-like nose, tennis ball eyes, and it’s wearing something that looks suspiciously like a tea cozy. “Good morning, Miss!” It squeaks.  
Elena is painfully aware that everyone who is in the Great Hall is looking at her when she says, “Good morning to you, too. Um, I don’t mean to sound rude, but who and what are you? And why are you here?”  
The thing smiles weakly. “You cannot offend Polka, Miss. Polka is house elf. Madam Pomfrey sent Polka to give Miss medicine. Here medicine, Miss!” The house-elf shoves a container with pills into Elena’s hands before disappearing with a snap of her long bony fingers.   
Elena turns back around in her chair, then throws the pills into her mouth and washes them down with her orange juice.  
Just as Elena is taking a bite of her French toast, she hears a familiar voice behind her drawl, “So this is the medication your mother was referring to? What is it for?”  
Elena turns around to face him so quickly she’s surprised she doesn’t give herself whiplash. She quickly swallows her bite of food before replying, “I would rather not say what it’s for, sir.”  
Snape raises an eyebrow. “Why is that, Miss Davies?”  
She looks down at her hands. “Because it’s personal, Professor. Only my sisters, Mum, and Madam Pomfrey know the reason why I have to take it.”  
He opens his mouth to reply, but before he gets the chance to, Phoenix walks over and sits down beside Elena. Snape leaves and takes his seat at the staff table.  
“What were you two talking about?” Phoenix asks, taking a bite of her oatmeal.  
“Nothing important.”  
~<3~  
Snape’s first class of the year is with the first years from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. They dawdle in, and he sees Elena take a seat next to Tonks, who trips on her chair while trying to sit down, and another Ravenclaw girl, whom he doesn’t remember seeing last night during the Sorting. They’re sitting at the table closest to his desk.  
After giving his usual spiel, he has the students begin studying for the potion they will be making during their next lesson. He paces around the room as they work, making sure to keep a close eye on Tonks, who, from what Andromeda’s told him over the years (and from what he’s experienced from his quick interactions with the girl over the years), will be a constant test to his patience in class-- something he doesn’t have in spades. Or at all.  
However, much to his surprise, the class goes by with only one hiccup, and that, of course, was because of Tonks, who spilled her ink all over her parchment in the middle of class. He reprimands the girl sternly as he Scourgifies the mess, but it only seems to add to Tonks’s abundant confidence.  
When the bell rings, the students all pack away their things, hand in their papers, and make a mad dash for the door, as though they can’t get away from their professor quickly enough. Snape shares the same regard for the students.  
Elena stops in front of Snape’s desk. Fifi and Tonks try to wait with her, but she shoos them off and promises that she’ll meet them in the hallway in a minute.  
“Do you have a question, Miss Davies?” Snape asks as he sits down on the chair behind his black ebony desk.  
“No, sir. I wanted to give you these,” she says, holding up a clear bag filled with what looks like chocolate chip cookies.  
Snape takes the bag from her outstretched hand and eyes the contents suspiciously. “And why would you want to give them to me? Are they, perhaps, filled with some kind of poison in hopes that you will get a new Potions Master?”  
Her eyebrows furrow as her lips form a frown. “No, sir. It’s just a tradition of mine. I would always bake cookies for my teachers on the first day of school when I went to Muggle school.”  
“Well, I am not a muggle.”  
Her cheeks flush red with anger. “Fine, then don’t eat them. It won’t affect me either way.”  
She marches to the door, but Snape calls her name, effectively stopping her. “Yes?”  
“I believe the Sorting Hat put you in the wrong House.”  
Defiantly, Elena places her hands on her hips. “Why?”  
He smirks. “Because the suck-ups are usually put into Hufflepuff, like your friend, Miss Tonks.”  
Her nostrils flare. “There’s more to me than meets the eye, sir. And I’m not a suck-up. However, seeing as you’ve made your opinion of me very clear, I will be sure to prove you wrong, just as I have everyone else who has made wrong assumptions about me.”  
Snape is too stunned by her words to stop her as she walks out of the room, leaving him blinking disbelievingly after her.  
That girl has nerves, he thinks to himself as he begins to mark the fresh-- and only-- papers on his desk.  
~<3~  
After Elena eats dinner, she heads to her dormitory and sits down to write a letter to her sisters.

Dear Jojo and Riles,  
Everything I’ve experienced thus far in the Wizarding World has been amazing! I have three amazing friends-- Tonks, Phoenix, and Charlie. Tonks and Charlie are in different houses than me, but at least I have Phoenix with me. Oh! I almost forgot to tell you that I was put into Ravenclaw!  
My classes began today. I only had three-- Potions, Charms, and Herbology-- but I’m loving them all! As of right now, Charms is my favorite class, but I also really enjoy Potions. Both classes are so much fun, and I know you would love them too, Riles!  
I wish you could attend Hogwarts with me. I miss you both so much, and I promise to write again soon! Send my love to Mum!  
\--Elena  
P.S. I hope you two enjoy the treats I’ve sent!

Elena seals the letter, leaves the common room, and heads up to where Sierra told her the Owlery is.  
Snow flies down from the rafters as soon as Elena enters. She lands on Elena’s shoulder and nips lightly at her neck. As she ties the letter and package of sweets to her leg, Elena strokes Snow’s downy feathers. “I need you to take this to Riley and Jojo, got it?”   
Snow hoots in response before flying out through the window.  
~<3~  
The next time the girls have Potions is Wednesday afternoon, and it is a double lesson, much to their dismay. They sit at the same desk they did on Monday morning and, per the instructions on the chalkboard, pull their cauldrons out.  
Snape has them attempt to make their potion, a cure for boils. He watches over the class as they work, catching Tonks as she spills some ingredients on the floor and Elena quietly sliding over some of her own ingredients to the former.   
“Watch your clumsiness, you ignorant child,” Snape mutters, then walks away.  
Tonks blushes as Elena glares after him-- no one talks to her friends like that and gets away with it. She’ll get her revenge on him, that’s for sure.  
A little while later, there’s a loud explosion from their corner of the room while Snape is talking down to a scared Hufflepuff girl. He turns quickly to see Tonks with semi-burned hair that she almost instantly Morphs back into its hairdo of the day, and Elena is lying, sprawled out, on the floor beside their desk, obviously having fallen out of her chair from surprise.   
Snape makes his way over to their table and glares down at Elena, who quickly stands up, brushes the dirt off of herself, and primly sits back down on her seat. “Miss Davies, whatever ingredient you slipped or information you gave Miss Tonks, was clearly meant to intentionally make her potion explode in her face. I am quite disappointed in you, and you shall serve detention with me on Saturday morning.”  
Elena, Tonks, and Fifi glare at him, but when Tonks tries to say something, Elena stomps on her foot. That keeps Tonks quiet. Elena picks up her quill and starts writing on her parchment, and her friends follow her lead a moment later.  
With a huff of disappointment at not getting the rise out of Elena that he so desperately wants (for some reason that he can’t explain), Snape starts circling around the room again, making sure to keep a close eye on the two troublesome girls.  
At the end of class, as Elena’s handing in her vile before leaving, Snape says, “This is nothing close to what it should be, you stupid, careless girl. Five points from Ravenclaw.”  
Elena gapes up at him like a goldfish, and then her eyes turn glassy. Her hand becomes slack, her potion falling and exploding on the ground, and runs out the door.   
Tonks and Phoenix, who were waiting at the door, chase after her. Snape hears their footsteps echoing through the dank dungeons, leaving him to wonder why she reacted the way that she did.   
Maybe she cannot take criticism? Yes, that must be it, he thinks. However, Snape feels terrible, especially since her potion was near perfect from what he could tell. It was definitely one of the best he’d seen someone her age and with her education make. With that in mind, he gives her an O for the assignment.  
~<3~  
Tonks and Phoenix chase Elena all the way to a hidden window seat spot. Tonks closes the curtains behind them, nearly ripping them from their position as she stumbles forward into them. Phoenix sees this and quickly grabs her friend around the waist, yanking her backward.  
“Thank you, Fifi,” Tonks whispers.  
“He hates me!” Elena sobs. She brings her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and buries her face within to hide from everything. “He was nice to me when he took me to Diagon Alley, but that was just a facade!”  
Phoenix rubs her back soothingly. “He hates everyone, sweetie.”  
“He hates me more than the rest, though. It’s so unfair!”  
“Your potion was perfect, and we all know it. What he did was plain mean,” Tonks says.  
“It isn’t just about my stupid potion. I swear he’s trying to get back at me for what happened on Monday after class,” Elena says, her voice muffled by her legs.  
“What happened?”  
Elena tells them the story and does not bother to look up to see her friends’ looks of horror.  
“Damn, girl, you have some nerve to say that to Professor Snape,” Tonks compliments admiringly.  
Elena shrugs. “I’m not going to let him bully me into submission.”  
“I admire you, girly, but don’t expect me to have the same courage you do,” Phoenix comments.  
“But he’s still an arsehole, and I hate him,” Elena exclaims.  
~<3~  
Unbeknownst to the girls, Snape hears Elena’s outburst, and he stops in front of their curtain in order to hear their conversation.  
“He’s just a jerk who likes to make life difficult for everyone except for his favorites,” Fifi says  
“Yeah. We all know he favors his precious Slytherins,” Tonks spits.  
Snape, from his place in front of the curtains, is beginning to get the feeling that he knows exactly who this ‘he’ is that they’re speaking of.  
“But it isn’t fair!” Elena rasps out, sniffling quietly. “I try to be nice, and he just assumes the worst about me.”  
“It’s because he’s a Slytherin. Besides, there’s no need for you to be perfect. I mean, just look at me! I mess everything up, but I still get decent grades.”  
A louder sob and more sniffling come from behind the curtain, and Snape inches closer silently.   
“You don’t understand, Tonks.”  
“El-- whoops!” Tonks starts, but she somehow manages to stumble forward, knocking the curtains off their rod and revealing Snape eavesdropping.  
Fifi’s arm is around Elena’s shoulders while Tonks is sprawled out on the floor, tangled in the curtains. Tonks’s eyes widen for a moment before turning into a glare when she realizes that it’s Snape standing in front of her, and her hair suddenly changes from its periwinkle blue to a bright, furious red.  
“You should all be in your common rooms right now to get ready for dinner. We do not want anyone thinking you are getting into mischief, do we?”  
Elena’s head snaps up at the sound of his voice. She quickly wipes away her tears with the back of her sleeve. “Y-yes, sir. I-I mean, no, sir.”  
For the second time today, she goes rushing off away from Snape. Fifi glares at him a moment before following after Elena.   
Tonks, however, continues to struggle against the curtains holding her captive, so, taking pity on her, Snape pulls out his wand and casts a charm to set her free. She stands up, her arms crossed over her chest, and looks him right in the eye.  
“Is there something you would like to say to me, Miss Tonks?”  
She debates with herself for a moment. “No, sir,” she finally mumbles, then rushes to the stairs that lead to the Hufflepuff common room.  
~<3~  
“Miss Davies, please stay,” Snape commands as the class gathers their belongings Friday afternoon.  
Tonks throws him a withering look before turning and mumbling, “You’ve got this, girly,” to Elena.  
“You wanted to see me, sir?” she mumbles, looking down at her feet.  
He gives a tight nod. “Why were you crying in the corridor Wednesday afternoon?”  
Her face brightens. “No reason, sir.”  
“Really?” Snape asks, walking around his desk so that he’s now standing beside her. “In my experience, people rarely cry for no reason.”  
She looks up at him, her eyes holding her unique fierceness in them. “What do you want me to say? I’m not weak, and I won’t let anyone-- especially you-- see me as such.”  
“I did not say you were weak.”  
“No, but you thought it.”  
“What makes you say that?”  
She looks down at her feet again. “It’s what everyone thinks.”  
It takes all of his self-control not to snort at that. “I highly doubt your friends think you are weak.”  
She mumbles something that sounds like, “Not yet.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Nothing, sir. I was only saying that I’m going to be late for Charms.”  
Snape gives another tight nod. “Yes, well, you had better be going, then. I will see you in the morning for your detention.”  
Just before she exits, he calls out, “I expect more out of you, Miss Davies. Your potion from Wednesday was sub-par, even for someone with as little experience in the Wizarding World as yourself.”  
She stops mid-stride for a moment, and then, without turning around, she continues on her way.  
~<3~  
The next morning, Elena is in the Ravenclaw dormitory getting ready for the day when Polka appears to give her her daily medication. Elena takes the pills and waits for the elf to leave before dumping them into the trash can. For some reason, she doesn’t feel like taking her medicine today.  
Regardless of the fact that the sun has barely crested over the horizon, Elena grabs her current book that she’s reading and heads down to the Great Hall to eat her breakfast. And to get some early morning reading in before she has detention.  
Fifi joins her at the (still rather empty) Ravenclaw table about ten minutes later. “Good morning. Aren’t you quite the early bird?”  
Elena looks up from her book and quickly swallows the bite of toast she had just taken. “It’s in my nature. I used to wake up before Mum most mornings, and I would just read in bed until she woke up and started breakfast.”  
“No wonder you’re a bookworm. Come on-- more eating, less reading. You have to be well sustained if you’re going to survive detention with Professor Snape.”  
Elena groans. “Don’t remind me.”  
After finishing her breakfast, Elena makes her way down to the dungeons and into Snape’s classroom.  
Snape stands up from his desk when she enters, slightly surprised, but he quickly masks it. “Miss Davies, you are early.”  
“Thanks for stating the obvious. I try to make it a point to never be late for things. Though, I do think you were hoping I would be late so you could punish me even more.”  
“Ten points from Ravenclaw for your cheek. I would watch that tongue of yours, Miss Davies. It will get you into serious trouble one of these days.”  
Elena shrugs. “Eh, I’ve been punished for my mouth before, but nothing’s ever worked. Mum used to wash my mouth out with soap, but Father--” she stops herself before she finishes, then looks down at her hands.  
Snape raises an intrigued eyebrow. “What is this about your father?”  
“Nothing,” Elena says, her voice quieter and shakier than usual, which slightly unnerves Snape. Then she deliberately clears her throat. “What do you want me to work on while I’m in detention, sir?”  
“Lines. You are to write what is on the chalkboard 500 times.”  
On the chalkboard, written in Snape’s tidy cursive, is the sentence, “I will not purposely cause explosions in class.”  
Sitting down in her usual seat, Elena grabs out a piece of parchment and her quill and ink from her bag. She then begins to write her lines, highly aggravated by the unfairness of everything.  
Snape sits back down at his desk and begins marking papers again, but he makes sure to keep a close eye on Elena as she works diligently-- well, as diligently as one can work when they’re peeved-- on her assignment.  
~<3~  
You’re not good enough, a voice in Elena’s head says.  
Elena inhales sharply but continues to write her lines, albeit a little more forced than before.  
A few minutes later, the voice says, You’ve never been good enough, and you never will be, but this time it sounds more like Elena’s father than it did the first time.  
The quill drops out of Elena’s hand, but she picks it up again and immediately resumes writing her lines, the tip of the quill nearly ripping the parchment because she’s pressing down so hard.  
Snape briefly looks up at Elena from his own work.  
This time, it’s Snape’s voice in her head that says, Your work is subpar.  
Elena reels backward, completely taken aback. The chair scrapes against the stone of the floor, but one of the legs catches on a cobble, causing the chair to tip backward. Elena barely manages to maneuver herself as she falls so that she lands on her forearms and knees rather than her back, which would have caused her to hit her head pretty hard. A surprised and slightly pain-filled squeal leaves her lips.  
“What has happened, you good for nothing child?” Snape shoots up from his chair, then walks over to where Elena is sprawled on the floor, shaking and shivering furiously. “Miss Davies, what is the matter?”  
Elena, who is curled into a ball on the floor, buries her head in her hands to hide the tears that are streaming down her cheeks. The words continue to flood through her mind, telling her all of her worst fears. When she speaks, her voice is tremulous and filled with a fear Snape never knew she had in her. “Make it stop, please. Make it stop!” She sobs.  
Crouching down in front of her, Snape gently pries Elena’s hands from her face and forces her to look at him. It frightens him how shaky her hands feel in his own, and he lets go of them when he realizes that he’s still tightly clutching them in his hands. “Make what stop, Miss Davies?”  
Elena gasps in several long breaths, then holds her breath in an attempt to calm her erratic tears. However, she releases it quickly and begins to hyperventilate, much to Snape’s displeasure, and-- if he’s being honest-- fear.  
Snape grabs one of Elena’s hands again and places it on his heart so that she can feel every beat of his heart and every breath he takes. “Breathe with me. In, out. In, out. In, out. There you are, just like that. Again. In, out.”  
As Elena’s breathing begins to even out, Snape removes her hand from his chest, laying it down in her lap.  
“T-thank you, Professor.”  
“There is no need to thank me.”  
They sit in silence for a few minutes as Elena calms down more and Snape begins to process what has just happened.  
“Now, will you tell me what all of that was about, Miss Davies?” He asks once she’s calmed down a bit more.  
Elena looks down at her hands to avoid his intense gaze. “I didn’t take m-my medicine this m-morning. I d-didn’t want to.”  
“And your medicine, it quells these... emotions?”  
Elena nods. “Y-yes, Professor.”  
“Then why did you not take it this morning?”  
When Elena doesn’t answer right away and begins to nervously wring her hands in her lap, Snape grabs her chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look into his eyes again. “Answer me, Miss Davies.”  
A loud sob leaves Elena’s lips. “Because I don’t want to be the freak who has to take anxiety medicine!”  
Snape sucks in an angry breath, but he forces his voice to remain comforting as he says, “You listen to me, Miss Davies. On the contrary to whatever your father has told you in the past, you are not a freak. You are an extraordinary girl who will grow to be an even more extraordinary young woman. Do not dare listen to a thing your father has told you, do you hear me?”  
“But I am a freak! I can’t control how I react to things! And I have these stupid anxiety attacks when I can’t take things anymore. I am a freak.” Her voice grows quieter with each word until she’s barely speaking above a whisper.  
With a swipe of his thumbs, Snape brushes away the tears from her eyes. “Those things do not make you a freak. They only make you… unique, I suppose.”  
“Because that makes me feel a whole lot better.” But a small smile tugs on her lips that Snape doesn’t miss.  
“I do not understand you, Miss Davies.”  
“Few people do.”  
Snape resists the urge to roll his eyes. “Something tells me that your sisters, Tonks, and Smith are the only people on that short list of yours.”  
Frustrating Snape even further, Elena shrugs and says, “Something like that.”  
“I have to tell Madam Pomfrey about you not taking your medicine this morning.”  
Elena looks down at her hands. “I know.”  
“And I want you to promise me that you will never do anything like this again.”  
Elena’s eyes snap up to meet his intense-- but not harsh-- gaze. Once she decides that he’s being serious, she holds her pinky finger up to him. “I promise. Now, link your pinky with mine.”  
Snape looks at her outstretched finger with apprehension. “Why?”  
Now it’s Elena’s turn to resist rolling her eyes. “It’s a thing in the muggle world-- a pinky promise signifies a serious promise. If you break a pinky promise, you have to break your pinky. It’s pretty much the muggle version of an Unbreakable Vow.”  
Snape arches an eyebrow. “I highly doubt anyone would hold a ‘pinky promise’ to the same regard as an Unbreakable Vow, but if it keeps you from breaking your promise to me, I suppose I can entertain this silly muggle tradition.” He holds his pinky finger out, but just before he links it with hers, he says, “Just do not tell anyone I did this. It will stay only between the two of us.”  
Elena smirks as she links their fingers. “We’ll add that to the pinky promise, I suppose.”  
Later that day, after a stern lecture from Madam Pomfrey, Elena pulls Tonks, Fifi, and Charlie to their window seat spot and tells them all about her anxiety disorder, answering whatever questions they have as well because she no longer wants to keep it a secret from them. But she doesn’t tell them about what happened in Snape’s classroom. For some reason, she wants to selfishly keep that memory to herself.  
~<3~  
The next morning at breakfast, as the owls swoop overhead to deliver the morning mail, Snow drops a letter on Elena’s plate. She then lands on Elena’s shoulder, nipping lightly at her ear. Elena hands a treat to Snow, who, now that she’s gotten what she wanted, flies out of the window and up to the Owlery with the other post owls.  
Barely taking in Riley’s familiar, messy scrawl of her name on the envelope, Elena rips open the letter and begins to read it aloud to Tonks, Fifi, and Charlie, as it has become a tradition whenever one of them gets a letter or package from home.

Dear Elena,  
That was SO COOL getting a letter delivered to us by an OWL! You have to do that again-- especially while we’re at Father’s because it’ll annoy the living hell out of him! And those Wizarding treats you sent us were so delicious! I would be absolutely thrilled if you sent us some more! *Hint, hint. Nudge, nudge*  
Both Jojo and I are so glad you’re enjoying your classes! Your friends sound really nice, and we can’t wait to hear more about your guys’ adventures at Hogwarts! Remember: I want to live vicariously through you, so don’t hold anything back about your schooling from me, no matter how boring or irrelevant you might think it is!  
Mum sends her love as well. She said to tell you not to get into trouble, have fun, and she’ll send you a care package the next time you send Snow to deliver a letter for us.  
We love you so much!  
\-- Riley and Jojo  
P.S. I really meant that about the treats. I’d better see some next time you write to us or you’re not getting a Christmas present from me this year.

A wide grin takes over Elena’s face as her friends laugh behind her.  
“Your sisters sound like a hoot!” Tonks says once she finishes laughing.  
Elena puts the letter in the breast pocket of her blouse (she’s decided that she’s only going to wear her robes for lessons) in order to keep it physically close to her heart. “You have no idea how true that statement is, Tonks. But how am I supposed to get the chocolate frogs?”  
Tonks smiles mischievously, and Fifi groans because she knows that whatever comes out next is certain to get them into trouble. “Leave it to me.”  
Needless to say, after getting caught by Snape in Hogsmeade later that day, Tonks finds herself scrubbing cauldrons in detention every evening over the following week. But she did manage to buy several chocolate frogs before she got caught (and some Zonko’s products, but no one except Elena needs to know about that, right?). Tonks gives each of her friends a chocolate frog before giving the rest of them to Elena to send to her sisters.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my (hopefully somewhat appealing and grammatically correct) story!  
> I would love to hear y'all's comments, theories, or questions! Until next time, lovelies!


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